The Sixth Element
by Ender Elementalis
Summary: A druid sets out on a quest with several friends that could discern the fate of the entire material plane...will they be enough? (Ch. 2 is finally up)
1. Default Chapter

AN~ hey all, this is just a trial, see how you like it and give me some R&R!!  
  
Harmony over Destruction. Peace over Hate. Tranquility over Vengeance. Song over Silence.  
  
Such are the teachings of the Elves, Ender thought. If only the rest of the world were to follow in these teachings, it would spawn a golden age.  
  
The Humans would follow these laws, but would be quick to deviate from them, as their world is ever changing - their lives are so short, one must pity them.  
  
The Dwarves and Half-Orcs would not follow these teachings faithfully, for they are in love with combat, and live to flirt with death.  
  
The Halflings are more geared towards chaos, and care nothing for laws, while the Gnomes are more interested in their holes, and playing jokes on each other.  
  
Such is the world today Ender sighed. Harmony, what was what he craved for most, but already, he himself had deviated from the teachings. He had become what few other Elves of his village had - a Druid. A caretaker and defender of the wild. A being that no longer drew solely on strength from himself, but also from nature. It was because of this way of life that he had already not followed the teachings of the Elves as best he could.  
  
He hated all things unnatural to the wild - Abburatoins and Undead were just a few. He was at peace with nature, although he leaned more towards the good and living than the true neutrality of nature.  
  
He stood from the rock he was sitting on, looking out over the wooded valley and over the town of Coolahent beyond. The sun had begun to rise, sending a heavenly, reddish glow over that valley that seemed to linger like a poisonous gas in the air as it mixed with the still early morning fog. Spider webs in the trees beside him sparkled with the early morning dew, like little jewels on a thread.  
  
He sighed again as he turned away from the breath - taking view, he had been through a lot because of death - he had seen close friends fall in the heat of battle; various animal companions that he had become quite close to, perish to give Ender a chance to live and see that the others got through it ok. Hoochi - Hoochi, Kaeleas, Nightclaw, and others he had befriended so well that they were the ones that chose to die to save him. Too many had perished along his long road of life and adventures. His parents and brother were also among the curse of tragedies that seemed to follow him wherever he went. As he turned, a fierce amber stare caught his eye, as he looked a fully-grown male Bengal tiger in the face. The deep amber eyes hinted of a greater intelligence, and his powerful muscles were coiled up like a tight spring under him like he was ready to strike. A low growl rumbled from deep in his throat as he seemed to be saying 'Don't mess with me, I'll kick your ass.'  
  
"Hello Rashied."  
  
"Good morning, Ender. The forest is alive with the smells and sights of life.shall we press onward?"  
  
Ender turned and took one last look out over the valley and turned back to follow Rashied.  
  
"If you'd Wildshape, we'd be able to cover much more ground in a quicker fashion." suggested Rashied.  
  
Ender nodded and closed his eyes. Almost immediately, he felt a prickly sensation crawling over his skin. He opened his eyes and his skin had turned the typical orange and black of the Bengal tiger. As he watched, his skin seemed to become hazy and insubstantial, and finally spill outward to become tiger hair. He felt his ears slide up to the top of his head and change to become tiger ears. All the while the ground got closer and closer. He could hear his bones cracking and reversing, his organs sloshing around and changing to become those of a tiger's. Then, as abruptly as it had begun, it ended, and there stood a second Bengal tiger next to Rashied.  
  
Rashied, used to be just a regular Tiger with an Animal Friendship spell cast on him, but now, he was much more. Ender had finally gotten strong enough to cast Awakening, a spell that grants an animal or plant human-like intelligence, giving the animal or plant the ability to think and speak. Rashied has been with Ender for about five months before he cast it, about a month ago.  
  
Rashied took off at a full run to the west, away from Coolahent towards the valley of Bhrum, where he hoped to discover the origin of the disturbance he and his council had felt growing in the natural world. Ender filled with the sheer, childish joy and power of the tiger, and leapt after Rashied.  
  
The green vegetation of the forest rushed by, no more than a green blur of leaves and underbrush. The wind whistled harshly in Ender's ears as the sky slowly and gradually became lighter, the red fading off to become bright blue.  
  
As he was running, Ender's keen tiger senses picked up the charming sound of a Shalm, an instrument made of wood, somewhat like a recorder, but with a different sound, playing off in the distance somewhere to his right. He growled up to Rashied, who growled back that he heard nothing of the sort, which was odd, as Ender was usually the last one to pick up on such things. A clearing appeared ahead, and both Tigers slowed and approached it cautiously, as they had been jumped in a clearing before by a band of Goblins. The music seemed to be coming from the clearing. It could be a nymph, a fey, a dryad, or even a god come to the material plane enjoying the scenery. Ender told Rashied to stay, while he investigated the strange music. Rashied still heard no such music, which even stronger suggested it be Siren, or some being of the same sort.  
  
"It's just in your head Ender, ignore it, and lets go, we still have many miles to transverse," Rashied said.  
  
"No, it's not the song of a Siren, if it is, then I'll call for you to come and give me a hand. This music almost too beautiful to be a Siren's and it is most definitely too beautiful to just pass on by without investigating," Ender protested.  
  
"Fine, fine, you've done this by yourself before, just remember, 'Curiosity killed the Cat.'"  
  
Ender turned and gave him a half-serious, half-sarcastic look that said 'You're such a retard, Rashied.' Rashied just gave that strange little smile that he did with his eyes.  
  
Ender crouched low to the ground, and started inching his way forward, his belly rubbing on the cool, damp, earth, careful to stay concealed in the tall grasses that filled the clearing. His stripes helped him blend in with the grass, making as little noise as possible. He crept closer and closer, pausing occasionally to listen for any sign that the mysterious instrumentalist had heard his approach. When he finally got close enough to see what it was, it was no dryad, nymph, fey or god. It was a mortal, one that was dressed in chain mail, with a pennant of whose design he could not discern yet. A long sword hung at the figure's side and a longbow was propped against the tall birch tree that the figure was sitting up against. As Ender crept closer, he could see the smooth precision that the fingers of a master musician moved gracefully over the wooden instrument, creating a warm, smooth, flowing and relaxing melody. Ender moved silently closer and closer, always stopping and listening, and being careful to stay low to the ground. Closer and closer he crept until he could make out the design of the pennant with his sharp golden - yellow eyes. It was a symbol of his god, Obad-Hai, the god of nature. He could start to make out more features of the figure. It was a young woman sitting against the tree; Her brown hair cascaded down loosely onto her chain mail shirt. Her eyes were closed as she was fully pouring herself into her music. The music flowed like water flows down a riverbed, smooth and soft, sometimes violent and with much power.  
  
Ender crept around to the right, back into the woods, where he Wildshaped back into his Elven form. Ender walked out of the woods and walked over to the young woman sitting against the great birch. She stopped playing, but didn't look up.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked in a voice that was almost as musical as her Shalm, but held a hint of a dangerous edge in it.  
  
Ender paused for a moment, what did he want with her? He hadn't stopped to consider his actions and consequences before he had leapt into action again. Stupid, stupid, stupid!!  
  
"I, uh, I was walking through the woods when I heard you playing your Shalm. I didn't know what it was, so I came to find out," Ender explained, but kept his true purpose a secret. "I followed my ears to this spot, and, well, here I am.' She finally looked up at him with hazel eyes that sparkled with a hint of suspicion. Her eyes told that she had been through many hard times, but she had been able to laugh through a lot of it. Her eyes held a great intelligence, and an even greater understanding of the happenings around her.  
  
She raised one eyebrow, "Just happened to be wondering through the woods, huh?" she said a little softer this time. Her face formed a small little half-smile in which the dimples in her cheeks showed.  
  
Ender found himself staring into those big hazel eyes, lost in his own thoughts. "Um, yeah, I happen to like.walks in the woods. Yes. I like walking in the woods. Woods are nice," he stammered quickly, coming to his senses from a hypnotic state. Ender had learned to read people's body language very well, since he was a member of his own Druidic Council back home. Most of all, he had learned to look deep within someone's eyes. 'The eyes always tell a story,' his Psionic friend, Alamantar had once told him. "And just what is a girl like you doing out here just playing her Shalm?" Ender shot back. He didn't like the feeling that someone unseen was watching through those eyes too, and captivated him so.  
  
She stared up at him, amused, "How did you know that this was a Shalm?" she inquired. "Most wouldn't be able to discern this from a lyre these days. They'd just say it was some sort of magical pipe. It is no magic, it just takes the time and skill to learn to play music." She looked Ender down from head to foot and back up again, "But, you are not just an everyday commoner, now, are you?"  
  
"I am too a commoner, one that enjoys music and likes to escape every once in a while." Ender replied quickly, hoping that he wouldn't spill the truth.  
  
"Yeah, sure, and I'm Pelor. Since when do commoners wear Scimitars and Hide armor? You are no commoner. You worship Obad-Hai, the supreme god of nature, otherwise you wouldn't have known what my instrument was.which would make you." she paused, her eyes filling with conviction, "a druid," she concluded quietly.  
  
"And I presume you are a Cleric, judging by your outfit, and symbols.?" Ender responded, a little shaken that this girl could discover him so easily.  
  
"Yes, in fact I am, to the same god as you, Obad-Hai."  
  
"Fine, you've figured out quite a bit by just studying me, but I still don't know your name, Miss."  
  
"My name is Mataji Celestialrose," she responded. "And yours is.?"  
  
"Ender. Ender Elementalis." He turned and made a noise that sounded like a cross between a mourning pigeon's call, and an owl's hoot, and a tiger sprung from the grass with a great roar, and landed in front of Ender, now looking very sheepish. Mataji jumped visibly, and grabbed Ender's arm, which was quite amusing seeing her startled out of her comfortable little shell of understanding, and immediately going for the protection of Ender. He may be able to make a friend, if not more out of her yet.  
  
"Sorry Ender, I thought you needed me to get you out of another sticky situation." Rashied apologized. "Good day Miss," said Rashied as he turned and looked up at her, grinning with his eyes again.  
  
Mataji's jaw dropped this time. "Your tiger can talk?!" she whispered, awed.  
  
"Yeah, Druids can do that you know.give people intelligence, when they have very little." He gave her a full-faced grin, but she gave him a stern look.  
  
"What are you trying to say, Mr. Elementalis?"  
  
"Nothing! Nothing! It was merely a joke!"  
  
"Sure.maybe you should try it on yourself, as you obviously don't know how to treat women properly. You'll get a good lesson yet, maybe." She stood there for a second with a harsh look on her face, which gradually transformed into a full-hearted smile. "C'mon lighten up a bit! I was just getting you back." She stood and patted Ender on the back. "It's nice to meet you, Ender. I haven't seen a decent Elf such as you in days. Where were you off to that brought you through the forest?" she inquired.  
  
"Brum."  
  
"To see the King?"  
  
"In a sort."  
  
"I have nowhere to go and nothing to do, would you mind if I joined you?" Ender looked down at Rashied, who looked back up at Ender with that same little smile playing over his eyes again. I have no problem with it. Rashied answered Ender in Druidic, a secret language known only to Druids, and occasionally their animal companions.  
  
Ender turned back to Mataji and said, "Yeah, sure, I don't see why not, we may have use of a cleric sometime."  
  
Yeah, right, when will we need a hotheaded, hardcore worshipper anyways? Ender said to Rashied with a sarcastic look on his face after Mataji looked away.  
  
You never know, but in any case, we can always 'disappear' if we ever need to right? So there's no harm in at least having someone else to talk to at the very least. Rashied replied. Besides, the tiger continued, you may be able to use those lady skills she threatened to teach you, right?   
  
Shut up, Rashied  
  
The tiger loped after Ender and Mataji with a satisfied look on his face that clearly read 'One for the Tiger, None for Ender!' 


	2. Remnants of the Past

Chapter Two ~ Remnants of the Past  
  
Night was beginning to fall as Ender, Mataji, and Rashied made their way to the edge of the forest. The nocturnal animals were beginning to show their faces, as the sky slowly turned an inky blue, and slowly twisted itself into the blackness of night.  
  
"Let's camp here for tonight," said a weary Ender.  
  
Mataji nodded her head in agreement, and Rashied disappeared off into the darkening woods behind him to fetch his meal. Mataji quickly, and with much practice, began assembling her tent that she had attached to her backpack before she had left on her solo trip. Ender began gathering little twigs and other small branches, and arranged them in a tent-like fashion, placing dry leaves in the center, adding the smallest twigs around it in a sort of cone, gradually increasing the size of the twigs until they became branches. Pulling a small piece of steel and an equally small piece of flint from his backpack, he stroked the piece of flint with the steel, causing sparks. After several attempts, the leaves caught and he had a small fire going.  
  
Mataji, upon completing her task, walked up to Ender, who was talking in a low voice to Rashied while cooking a small deer that Rashied had hunted down to split between the two of them, and silently seated herself beside Ender, bringing along her trail rations.  
  
"You want some venison?" Ender asked, the firelight dancing off of his face in the early evening, casting shadows like ghosts over him.  
  
Mataji eyed his deer, and then looked back at him, "No thanks, I'm not really one for meat."  
  
"You sure? I caught this, not him!" Rashied eyed her wittily.  
  
Oh, thanks a lot big guy.  
  
No problem, just trying to keep her safe from you Mr. Ladies-man.  
  
Ender gave Rashied an innocent look that said 'Who? Me?'  
  
Rashied had known Ender well before Ender had cast the Awakening spell on him, and knew quite well how much of a flirt he could be, but his flirtations led to something for awhile, then usually fell apart, as Druids like to keep to themselves.  
  
"Ahem." Mataji reannouned herself, "I'm sure it is an excellent selection, Rashied, it's just that I don't like meat, and," she said leaning down closer to Rashied's ear, so that only he cold hear, "Ender's the one trying to cook it."  
  
Rashied's furry orange face lit up, and he rolled over onto his back bellowing a half growl, half laughter, grabbing his sides as the big cat rolled back and forth on the ground.  
  
Ender gave her a dangerous look, "What did you say now? It had to have been about me, or he wouldn't be laughing that hard."  
  
Mataji just smiled sweetly, and innocently, replying, "Nothing!" Ender looked at her again, and she winked at him. She's a flirt too, no matter, she doesn't seem to be my type, and I have too high of a charge to be worrying about women right now.  
  
Mataji still grinning after she had finished her meal, standing, she patted him on his shoulder, and said, I'll take the first watch, you go get some sleep and then I'll wake you when it's time for you to take over.  
  
"Sure," agreed a weary Ender, looking down at a still grinning, and greatly amused Tiger. "Oh, will you stop it already?!" he yelled.  
  
Soon afterwards, the druid was fast asleep on his bedroll next to the fire, engrossed in haunting dreams of his past.  
  
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Ender was born in Supiath, an elven town along the easternmost shore of the Julcan continent. When he was about 83 years old, (which is a teenager in elven years), his village was attacked and destroyed by Ogres and burned to the ground, killing everyone but a few children in the village, including Ender. His father was a great elven swordsman, part of the Royal Tree's defending circle. He was part of the elite guardsmen that protected the King, Queen, the royal family, and their home tree, the Royal Tree.  
  
The tree used to be an ancient oak tree, hollowed out by master architects long disappeared into myth. It had an amazing interior all hand carved, complete with 25 bedrooms, a grand hall, and a throne room.  
  
Ender's mother was a Mage of the Royal Tree, protecting the royal family's future and past. She also served as an instructor of the Arcane arts, schooling younger and undeveloped mages.  
  
She had also died in the attack on Supiath, Ender remembered mournfully. She had perished alongside her students and other members of the Mages of the Royal Tree, fighting the intruders. Ender had been but a mere child by elven standards at the time, but his mother's face was burned into his mind forever, along with her dying words 53 years ago.  
  
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Ender tossed and moaned in his sleep and the cleric looked over at him worriedly. He had been sleeping in the nightmare world ever since she had met him, and she assumed that he had been having these violent nightmares long before she had ever laid eyes on him. Every night he had a horrible dream in which he rolled, and cried out. She had made out a couple of the words sometimes, leaving her to worry about him, but every morning it was the same, he would wake, meditate, make breakfast for the two of them, and then set off again, never a word about the torment that he had endured the night before. "How long has this been troubling him?" she wondered into the inky night as she looked up at the stars, brilliant points of light placed there by the gods many, many years ago. She looked back at Ender again, whose right eyebrow was twitching. She looked back into the night, trying not to think about him.  
  
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"Ender.Ender my child, are you there?"  
  
"Yes mother."  
  
"Good. There is.something I need to tell you before I depart for the next plane," she whispered up to him, her voice ragged and forced.  
  
Ender knelt beside his fallen mother, her face darkened by a mixture of ash, sweat, and blood. Her hair was matted and tossed about as if she had seen the very depths of hell and survived to see her son one last time.  
  
"My son, promise me.promise me you will lead a good and faithful life."  
  
"I.mother, you can't leave." said Ender as his voice cracked and a sudden warm salty tear ran down his fair elven face.  
  
"Promise me."  
  
"I.I promise you mother."  
  
"Ender," she tried again, "remember this, everything has a spirit, when something travels to another plane, it's memories and feelings are not lost. They pass with the soul into the next dimension, from which they live another immortal life, from which they watch the material plane, and can see.they can see things that mortals could never see.they see." she trailed off again with a cough, "they see the past.. the present.and what the future may hold, based on the decisions that are being made now."  
  
The flame of a Fireball spell passing overhead suddenly illuminated her face; it showed the pure love and defiance he had always known in his mother. Her eyes were filled with compassion and courage, but her now stricken face showed the trails of something else - tears.  
  
"Ender, I will always be there for you. When you think I am not, I will be waiting to prove you wrong.again." She smiled weakly up at him, "Remember," her voice now broke as she wheezed and gasped for air, "to enlighten the world.she will be a light.the key is you.tell them to turn to the 4th, 5th, and 6th." Her eyes closed for a moment, and then she reopened them, her eyes glittered like the stars in the sky above her. She removed her hand from her side revealing a deep, bloodied, and burned gash, which shined with blood as it spilled outward from the great wound. Ender's mother reached for her staff, but it was just out of her reach. Seeing what his mother was reaching for, Ender reached over and placed the staff in her hand. She pulled it to her side, like someone would embrace a very old friend. Turing back to her son, she said in a strained but weakened tone, "I.love.you.Ender." She smiled up at him again, her eyes slowly becoming glossy and vacant. As she closed them, her face slowly lifted up to the heavens, as her body stiffened.  
  
Ender put his head on his fallen mother's chest and slowly cried himself to sleep, the remnants of his shattered life buning and crumbling around him, all his memories and feelings numbed as the horrors of that night slowly gave way to the comforting arms of sleep and nothingness.  
  
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Ender awoke in a cold sweat, the remnants of the fire dying out with faint crackles. Rashied lay asleep beside him, lying on his back. Occasionally, he emitted a contented half growl, half purr, his paw occasionally twitching in his sleep. Ender lay back down and closed his eyes again, the haunting memories of his past returning to him in full force as soon as he fell back asleep.  
  
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His father had been found three days later on the battlefield with an Orcish bastard sword run through him, and a pile of dead Orcs and trolls around him, plus a huge cave troll with its head neatly cloven off to his right.  
  
His entire town was annihilated along with its entire population, save a handful, including Ender and a few other children. The Druidic Circle of Supiath took in the orphaned children, as they had no place to go. In living with the Druids, the children adopted the ways of life and laws of nature. They were only schooled in the divine ways of the circle if they were of age and truly, and deeply desired to be part of their society, for becoming a Druid is no easy task. One could not simply wake up one day and just adopt the codes and say 'I'm a druid today, look mama!'. Rigourous training was required of all who aspired to be a protector and scholar of the wild.  
  
When Ender was 110, he stated right away that he wanted to become part of them, to be a protector and preserver of life. He was accepted after only close consideration, and was appointed Silaqui Galorodel "Moonwhisper" to be his mentor and teacher. She was a noble elf of 473 years, one that had been a part of the council for many of those years before she departed and decided to adventure, and not 'sit around and squabble over petty matters' as she put it so bluntly.  
  
Ender trained under Silaqui's gentle but stern instruction for close to eleven years before she considered him ready for the trials. In those eleven years, he and her became very close friends, knowing almost more about each other than they themselves did.  
  
"Ender," she said to him the morning of his trials, "I have trained you to the best of my abilities, and I'm sure you will do fine, when you have finished, come back and see me, ok?"  
  
"Okay," Ender promised solemnly.  
  
Another elf from his village also partook in the trials with Ender, one by the name of Ivellios, who had left two years prior to Ender to begin his training. Tragically, Ivellios perished in the trials, falling from a log over a pit of lava while trying to knock an apple free from a tree 50 yards away.  
  
When he had successfully finished the trials, Ender created his full last name as he was accepted into the circle. He decided on Ender Elementalis "Mooncreature," as he had always loved animals, and he had so deeply created a friendship with Silaqui. After much partying, Ender spotted Silaqui conversing with some of the Council members with a solemn face. Ender walked to her and she turned and greeted him warmly.  
  
"Ender! You were great, I feel bad for Ivellios, but you were absolutely amazing."  
  
"Thanks," Ender smiled warmly.  
  
"The council says that it wants you to join a party in Coolahent traveling towards the Sunless Citadel to investigate famine and a myth about a rouge druid named Bellak.also, I want you to have this," she said as she handed him a softly glowing crystal with a '~/|\~' marking engraved on it. "I created this symbol for you, it is also a communication device, if you should ever need to get in touch with me, then use this. When the time is right, you will know how."  
  
Ender looked at his friend funny, but then wrapped it in a cloth and placed it neatly in his pack. "Thanks for everything, Silaqui."  
  
"Don't mention it, bud, you best go and check out that Citadel and the town called Coolahent outlying it.best of luck to you. I'll never forget you, and you better not either!" she winked.  
  
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Ender awakened to a soft touch shaking his shoulder, calling out to him.  
  
"Ender."  
  
"No, not yet, just gimme five more minutessszz." Ender groaned  
  
"Ender, get up."  
  
"It's Saturday, lemme sleep in mom."  
  
Ender slowly opened his eyes, looking up into a feminine face that looked very tired.  
  
"Time for you to take over, I'm beat." With that, she shambled away towards her tent, and soft snores soon joined Rashied's louder ones.  
  
Ender looked over at the big cat, now sprawled on his belly, his right ear twitching every once in a while in the wind. He looked out over the hill that they were encamped on towards the west where the sun would soon rise, and he thought back to the flash back he had begun in his dream, Mataji and Rashied's soft snores helping him think back several months ago.  
  
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Upon returning from the Sunless Citadel, with his mission completed, something just didn't feel quite right.as he stayed in the forest around Coolahent to observe the changes that would occur from their adventure in the citadel the feeling grew ever steadily in the back of his mind. Thirteen years after his little adventure in Coolahent, Ender was starting to get nervous, he just couldn't shake the feeling of upset in the outlying woods of Coolahent.something was amiss, and being assigned to the outlying area of Coolahent, it was his job to report it to the council.  
  
In his duration in the Coolahent area and in the Sunless Citadel, he had finally mastered the Wild Shape ability, the ability to change into an animal, and back again by calling on the forces of nature to empower, and flow through his body, changing him into any shape he wanted.for the most part. As he got stronger, eventually he would be able to Wild Shape into any size or shape animal, plus the forms of Elementals. Using this ability, he had transformed into the shape of a Hawk, and he made his way back to the grove where he was raised and inducted.  
  
Ender flew until he came upon the familiar clearing, in which he started down from his high altitude. His keen hawk eyes spotted that the guard was none other than his old mentor, Silaqui herself, one of his few friends that was not an animal, standing in the sentry's post. He decided to surprise her with his hard-earned powers, so he swooped in down low over her head, but she never even flinched. Landing softly, he Wild Shaped back into elven form.  
  
Without even turning around, Silaqui said to him in a stern voice, "Just because it walks like a duck and talks like a duck doesn't mean that it is a duck, Ender."  
  
Ender looked confuzzled, and replied, "How'd you know it was me?"  
  
"Well, first of all you just told me," she said turning with a broad smile on her face, "and second of all, a normal, wild hawk wouldn't swoop that close to my head, and I was expecting it because I figured if you ever flew in, you'd choose a hawk, as you have seen them before. That was a long journey Ender, you should've opted for a duck form, they can fly long distances and not even flinch, but I was pretty sure you didn't know that."  
  
Ender looked down at the ground, once again busted, and bested by his former mentor. "Dang, Silaqui, it's scary you know me that well."  
  
"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" she said again with a huge smile. "But all the same, it's great to see you again after all these years.my! What a handsome elf you are becoming! Welcome home!"  
  
"It's good to see you again, but this is not my home," he said with a solemn look on his face.  
  
It was Silaqui's turn to look to the ground, "Yes, I know, I'm sorry. I was born and raised here."  
  
Ender lightened up a bit, "Oh, come on, I'm not mad. I'm happy I've gotten to see you again, but I must meet with the council, there is something of importance that I must inquire about."  
  
"Of course, I'll alert them immediately. In the meantime, you remember where my tree was, you go make yourself at home."  
  
"Thanks Sila."  
  
"Don't mention it."  
  
That very evening, Ender was brought before the Druidic Council of Supiath. "Your honors," Ender began. "I have felt something growing in the back of my mind while watching over Coolahent.something that has seemed rather foul. I don't know what it is, because I am not familiar with this feeling.it's almost like a feeling of doom, like some unspeakable evil is growing somewhere. In my dreams, voices call out to me, and I remember." he trailed off, a wave of emotions cutting through him. "I remember my mother.and our town in these dreams sometimes." he trailed off again fighting to maintain control. These council members didn't assemble to see him break down in tears again. "Anyway, I was wondering if the council was aware of such things."  
  
"We have felt it also, and have been inquiring as to how it might be investigated. Our circle has contacted the Ranger's Guild of Coolahent, and have again asked them to send an old friend of yours to Brum to put together a party and investigate these matters."  
  
"Who is this old friend?"  
  
"One that calls himself 'Phoenix.'"  
  
Ender smiled at the memory of his half-elven friend. Phoenix had just been a beginning Ranger at the same time as Ender when they both joined a party and ventured into the Sunless Citadel together. Over the two or so years spent exploring the Citadel, Ender and Phoenix became close friends, and it pained Ender to part after such a close friendship again, but because of a Druid's duties and the ill understanding of them by the rest of the world, they mostly lived in solitude. Ender stayed and watched the outlying area of Coolahent by order of his circle, and Phoenix returned to his Ranger's guild hidden somewhere in the woods of Coolahent. Ever since, they stayed in touch as often as they could, but the worlds of Druids and Rangers are quite different, and quite busy.  
  
"You had already predetermined that I should go and represent this circle?"  
  
"Yes, the council has full confidence in you after your missions in the Sunless Citadel and the Forge of Fury were both successful."  
  
"Then I will go, my lords, and do all I can to determine the source of this primal disruption. I will report back when I know more of the situation." With that, the young Druid turned and walked out of the room with his head held high, proud of the council's decision to nominate him to discover something so important, and they had already arranged for him to travel with one of his close friends, Phoenix.  
  
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End file.
